Is it advisable and recomended to change natural pastures on our silvopastururing project for higher protein pastures as we thin out the forest and more sun light permits it ?

Ricardo,

If I understand your question correctly, you're wondering if it would make sense to "improve" the stuff growing in your silvopasture areas through seeding and other methods? 

Even if the plants growing under a silvopasture canopy aren't the ideal mix of grasses and forbs, the "weeds" and brushy stuff growing there is often quite nutritious and can make good food for your animals if grazed at the right time in the right manner.  Increasing livestock density is often necessary to incentivize animals to eat plants that they would otherwise pass over.  The other benefit of increased density is to get the animals to trample and smash more of the stuff they don't want to eat.  "Ultra high density livestock grazing" - or "mob grazing" - is being increasingly used by graziers across the country and the world because it increases both animal and pasture performance when done well.  The tradeoff is that it takes more labor and fencing inputs.  I'm increasingly convinced that very high grazing densities will be critical ingredient in the short-term development of most silvopastures being developed from thinned wooded areas.  In the absence of intensive, dense grazing, the disturbed area will either be lost to brush and noxious weeds - or alternative treatments will be necessary like mowing and spraying.

Brett,

Yes, you are correct. I think that seeding with Mombasa pasture instead of the stuff naturally growing under the canopy might help me increase density and reduce management costs in handling noxious brush or weeds and will also help me reduce mowing or spraying.

I am working on a trail en error system, not knowing if the weeds and brushy stuff that grows under the canopy will hold more animals/area than the ones I already have (1 animal/acre). Your explanation is interesting so I will test an area by increasing density 25-50% which in return I hope will help in getting better mixed pastures. I don`t use spraying and mechanical mowing is possible only during the dry February-April season.

Thanks for you information will test with a 50 head lot and see how the pasture-animals react. Thanks. 

We're currently seeding some winter wheat into recently logged areas where there was a heavy multiflora rose understory that was crushed up pretty well.  I plan to feed a lot of round bales on top of the rose this winter if the ground freezes enough, but am hoping that the wheat will provide enough food late next spring to incentivize the cows to trample the roses some more.  I'll post pictures and comments here as things progress.

Will send you some pictures to your e-mail. Don´t know how to send them here. Selected a 2 bull and 46 cos group to test the increase animals/area in the canopy. Will let you know results around October 24th. 

Our working conditions (climate) are very different. Looking forward to receiving your pictures and progress comments.